Airport Security System Makes Debut In Canada

The new biometric cards feature embedded memory chips that contain a record of an individual's unique fingerprint and iris information. When an airport worker arrives for a shift, a scanning device will read the person's iris or fingerprint, compare it with the smart card's memory, and check a central computer in Ottawa to ensure the employee has a valid security clearance. If all these match, the worker -- whether a baggage handler, aircraft mechanic or flight attendant -- will be allowed into a secure area. The security authority is providing cards and equipment to Canada's 29 biggest airports by the end of December, and all 125,000 airport workers should be enrolled sometime next year. McGarr said the project has taken so long because it uses complex, leading-edge technology, with contracts awarded last year to Ottawa-based ACME-Future Security Controls Inc. for the cards and scanners, and to UNICOM and IBM for project management. "It's a significant amount of time, for sure," he acknowledged in an interview. "It's not a small job." http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1124557614012_4/?hub=Canada

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